Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

June 2, 2020: A Call to Unifying Love

We stand in solidarity with our Black brothers and sisters within the OLP community and across the nation impacted by racism and racial violence. You are seen. You matter. You are loved. Read our full statement.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at OLP

At OLP, we are committed to intentional work around diversity, equity, and inclusion in all areas of the academic curriculum, student clubs, student leadership retreats, investment in professional development, and more. OLP strives to cultivate an inclusive environment that welcomes people of any color, race, ethnicity, or faith.

Inclusivity is deeply rooted in our Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet mission and their calls to action. We invite you to dive deeper into the history of the CSJ.

OLP's Partnership with DEI Experts

In 2018, our Head of School was introduced to Dr. Steven Jones. Dr. Jones is an expert on diversity, equity, and inclusion and founded Jones with the goal of making a widespread positive impact in the world of diversity, inclusion, and organizational excellence. Dr. Jones has partnered with OLP to lead conversations on DEI with our students, faculty, staff, and parents.

Our community has learned so much from Dr. Jones and his team. Under the direction of Dr. Jones, we will continue to "skill-up" our diversity lens, intentional inclusive practices, and ensure equity in the processes and systems within our organization.

The Martha McRoskey Place of Peace

In March 2020, we unveiled the Martha McRoskey Place of Peace. This space houses a replica of Michelangelo’s Pietà. In the late 1930s, in fear of the Nazis destroying priceless works of art, the Vatican commissioned molds of sacred statues. Through the generosity of OLP benefactors, including the Mogollon Coppel Family, OLP has been gifted a limited commissioned replica of Michelangelo’s Pietà, an exact 1:1 cast from the original sculpture.

The space also houses The Butterfly Project, which was founded by educator Jan Landau and artist Cheryl Rattner Price in 2006 at the San Diego Jewish Academy. OLP students have been participating in the project through the course "Examining the Holocaust Through Literature." This artistic and educational project memorializes the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust and honors the survivors.

The Pietà and The Butterfly Project are joined together in the Martha McRoskey Place of Peace, which serves as an interfaith sacred space in honor of the work of our Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet that continues still today. Read more on page 10 of our April 2020 OLP magazine.

“Currently, many organizations and institutions are choosing to examine and reflect on their efforts to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. For those of us rooted in the CSJ charism, these efforts challenge us to be deeply authentic in our commitment to inclusive unifying love.

Our local and global societies face challenges and obstacles (both individually and structurally) related to the failure to honor and support diversity, the failure to recognize the disparity in access to resources and opportunity experienced by many, the failure to see the ways many people are forced to live on the margins.

As individuals and as a society, we have drawn lines that shut people out. Some of those lines are blatantly obvious; some are nearly invisible without thoughtful reflection. Our charism of unifying love calls us to engage the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion with compassionate creativity—to redraw the circles so that no one is left outside.”

The Academy of Our Lady of Peace admits students of any color, race, ethnic origin or faith to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The school does not discriminate on the basis of color, race, ethnic origin or faith in the administration of its educational policies, scholarships, financial aid programs, athletic and other school-administered programs.